IMPROVEMENT WAYS OF URBAN PLANNING NORMATIVE AND REGULATORY BASES IN IRAN AND ITS COMPLIANCE WITH THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT CONCEPT

Abstract

Improvement of design solutions in the field of urban planning is impossible without modernization of normative and regulatory framework in accordance with modern requirements, one of which is the concept for sustainable development of the society and the concept was adopted by the United Nations. Scientifically substantiated approach to solving a problem pertaining to improvement of planning and architectural-spatial structure of small cities in Iran is impossible without taking into account provisions of the sustainable development concept. In 2006–2016 the author participated in preparation of several projects for Iranian cities and revealed main problems, faced by designers and final consumers of their products – residents of cities. Difficulties in development of these documents were caused by legislation imperfection in respect of their harmonization and validation, projecting procedure and also scientific substantiations of the adopted decisions. The author presents history of legislation in urban planning sphere and also considers a system of normative and regulatory documents that regulates issues of urban planning in Iran and main levels concerning development of urban planning documentation, analyzes three main types of urban planning in Iran (city general plan, guide-plan, detailed plan), their basic structure and their compliance with modern requirements (sustainable development concept). The main urban planning documentation problems in Iran are subdivided in three stages: development, harmonization and validation. The paper enumerates various urban planning problems in Iran (insufficient information on urbanization processes, absence of national regulatory documents, absence of evaluation methods and theoretical justifications, shortage in normative requirements) and proposes prospective directions for improving normative-regulatory framework of urban planning in Iran. The author has made an analysis of legislative acts in urban planning and various types of project documentation developed in Iran and its compliance with sustainable development concept.